The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-01
BRUTAL BULWER LYfTON
HOW HE BEAT, KICKED AND
"CHAWED~ HIS WIFE.
A Story That Fully ViHdicates Lady
LyttOn for Leaving Him-A
Shocking Record.

Lddy Lytt0n Pu6tShed IN Ftndl
cation of Her Memory. The biog
rapher is her ladyship's literary ex,
ecutor, Miss Louisa Dewey. The
following is a brief indication of the
character of the work, which ex.
tends to 400 pages:
The book opens with an interest.
ing account of Miss Wheeler's early
life and surroundings. She first met
Bulwer at the house Of a Miss Ben
ger, in 1925, and was struck by his
dandiied appearance. He had just
returned from Paris, aud was re-
splendent with French polish, so far
as boots went. His cobweb cambria
shirt front was a triumph of lace and
embroidery, a combination never
seen in this country till six or seven
years later, except on babies frocks.
Studs, too, except in racing stables,
were then non est; but a perfect
galaxy glittered along the milky way
down the center of this fairy like
lingerie. His hair, which was really
golden, glitteringly golden and abund-
ant, he wore literally in long ringlets
that almost reached his shoulders. "
Miss Wheeler did not fall so deeply
in love with Bulwer as he, apparent
ly, did with her. At all events, he
paid her a large number Of very in;
fated compliments. The end
Of it was that, after Miss
Wheeler had twice refused him,
they were married in August 1927.
1t is alleged in this book that she
brought her husband e300 a year;
but there is admittedly some doubt
on the point. 1t is also mentioned
that she was only six months older
than he; although he afterward sue
ceeded in inducing numbers of his
friends to believe that he had thrown
himself away in boyhood upon a
woman almost old enough to be his
mother" The first incident" of
the married life occurs about ten
months after the wedding, nearly a
month before the birth of her
daughter Mrs. Bulwer was in
the constant habit of assisting her
husband as much as possible in his
literary labors, and on that occasion
had been helping him by getting
down books from the library shelves.
Worn out and exhausted one even
ing, she had lain down on the sofa,
when her lord and master ordered
her to hand down another volume
and for that purpose to mount a step
ladder. Really, Edward she said,
L cannot do more, | am so tired La
a sudden fit of fury he sprang to his
feet and kicked her in the side with
such savage violence that she tainted
from the pain" When the baby
was born he put it out to nurse,
"lest it should interfere with his
domestic arrangements. In his
elegant phraseology, he declined
to allow his wite's time to
be taken up by any id child"
Mrs. Bulwer's maid at this time, and
down to 1S45, was a Miss Byrne;
and a deposition OF hers is printed,
in which it is stated that Bulwer,
"in one of his brutal RACES kicked
and banged her ladyship about the
stone floor till she was black and
blue" and further, that on one occa-
sion while they were dining together,
"he seized a carving knife and
rushed at his wife, when she cried
out, For Gods sake, Edward, take
care what you are aboutl when he
dropped the knife, and; springing on
her like a tiger, made his teeth meet
in his left cheek" 1t does not APP
pear that Miss Byrne, or indeed any
one except Bulwer and his wife,
were present when this happened,
and the story rests therefore upon
the evidence. of Mrs. Bulwer herself.
Her record of this and other Incl
dents; by the way, is in the some
what curious form of a series of let
ters addressed by the shade of Lord
Byron" to the rising and risen male
generation of Great Britain" in
which it is Bulwer who speaks, in
language put into his mouth by his
wife.
In consequence of the carving
knife episode, a separate was
talked about. But it did not take
place till some time afterward. 1t
the spring of 1885 Bulwer took
chambers for himself in the Albany,
and placed his wife and children at
Berrymead Priory, Acton. At Ber-
rymead Mrs. Bulwer kept a journal,
from which copious extracts are
given. They are very depressing
reading. The loneliness in which
Bulwer left her engendered a morbid
frame of mind. The journal is a
curious mixture of forced gaiety and
gloomy c~omplainings, with an under
current Of confirmed cynicism. The
end of it is quite tragic:
January 7th-Too ill to write.
February 20th-My' jailer return
ed with his amiable epicurean de-
bauche friend, Mr.. f. v, after a
a five weeks absence; and i'll as l
have been, too, he could not be here
one day alone.
March 1st-From crying, cough
ing and violent agitation | have
burst a small blood vessel. Oh, my
God my God when will You take
me?
Very soon afterward the final rup-
ture took place. Bulwer had prom
ised to dine with his wife one even
ing at Berrymead. But at 8 o'clock
a message arrived that he was very
i'll and quite unable to leave his
chambers. Mrs. Bulwer Immediately
started for London and surprised
him under circumstances which re-
suited in a formal separation. The
deed, which is printed in full, gives
Mrs. Bulwer G400 a year for herself
during Bulwer's life and ESQ each
for her two children so long as
Bulwer shall consent that each such
child should remain with her. If
at that time, as is alleged, Bulwer's
income was $4,000 or $4,000 a year,
these allowances were certainly not
extravagant. His wife speaks of the
deed as UNANIMOUSLY one sided" and
great blame is laid on her trustees,
Sir Francis Hastings Doyle and Sir
T. G. Cullum. On June IA, 1886,
l. 1.I1---